2008 Spin:
Kurt Busch referred to 2007 as a “transition year.” And a fine transition it was.

The 2004 Cup champ burst back onto the scene in his second year with Penske Racing, making the Chase and winning twice to improve nine spots in the standings.
Just don’t say he briefly dropped from public view.
“It’s a little sticker that you get from a cactus in your back when you’re (considered for) the Most Improved Award, because that means you fell behind,” he said of his jump from 16th in ’06 to seventh in ’07. “We’ve definitely got our work cut out for us (to stay on top).”

Leading that charge will again be Pat Tryson, the final stop on a crew chief carousel that once threatened to derail Busch’s season. The No. 2 team began the year with Roy McCauley at that helm, then Troy Raker, but neither was able to make a breakthrough with Busch. It took Tryson, who led Mark Martin to three Chase appearances at Roush Racing, to make the impact the Miller Lite team sorely needed.
“(That was) the key moment for us,” Busch claims. “Once we got (Pat) aboard, things clicked on all eight cylinders and we were able to work our way into the top 10 in points. Race wins, compete (up front) – we had as many bonus points as anybody.”

Busch is right. If Tryson had been hired earlier, there’s no telling how good the No. 2 car could have been. And with improvements coming down the line at Penske – the organization is starting a full-time test team, for starters – Busch and Tryson should be in position to do it again in ’08. The only hurdle will come in the first five races as Penske will transfer the No. 2 car’s owner points to a new third team with Sam Hornish Jr. But even then, Busch has his past champion’s provisional to use, a safety net for a team quickly losing a need for one.

“We know that we have a challenge in front of us in continuing our level of performance,” he says. “The competition will be even stronger next year, but I am confident our team will be ready.”

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